Saturday, November 20, 2010

Today is National Transgender Day of Remembrance. We remember lives lost due to hatred and violence and honor them by stopping hate where it starts and by creating a more welcoming state for transgender people. Check out GLAAD's blog, honoring the transgender people who have lost their lives due to violence. See their faces and hear their stories here.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

The packed 2.5 days delved into the current state of the LGBTQ safe schools movement.

Amidst the work we did at NSSR, we had the opportunity to meet with Sen. Al Franken, sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act. We also met with with Joe Wardenski from the U.S. Department of Justice about ensuring legal protections for transgender youth, and Stacey Horn, Program Director, M.Ed. in Youth Development in the UIC Department of Education, about cutting edge safe schools research.

We also benefited from the wealth of expertise of the other participants such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, aMaze, Anti-Defamation League, National Black Justice Coalition, Alabama Safe Schools Coalition, Idaho Safe Schools Coalition, GLSEN, Family Equality Council, National Youth Advocacy Coalition, ACLU LGBT Rights Project, Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition and many others!

On Tuesday, V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, announced his resignation from leading his diocese.Robinson still plans to be a bishop, but feeling the stress of both leading a parish and serving as a gay rights icon, this decision was made for his health as much as anything.

Robinson has been a trailblazer for the LGBT community for years now, adding an open voice to the religious community and creating a much-needed conversation within the Anglican Communion (not to mention other Christian denominations).Ever since starting as a bishop, Robinson has received countless death threats and hateful messages.

Robinson assures the community that he’s not “being run off” by those who have always opposed him.Instead, he’s retiring to focus on his ministry in New Hampshire, though he still plans to be engaged in “trying to achieve full and equal rights for gay, lesbian, transgendered, and bisexual people.”

We only wish the best for Robinson in his decisions, and thank him for all of the hard work he’s done for the nation!